Liberia is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2008 Census, the nation is home to about 3 million people and covers 43,000 sq mi.  Liberia's capital is Monrovia.  Liberia has a hot equatorial climate with most rainfall arriving in the rainy season with harsh winds in the dry season.

Liberia was founded and colonized by freed American slaves with the help of a private organization called the American Colonization Society in 1821-1822, on the premise that former American slaves would have greater freedom and equality there.  Slaves freed from slave ships were also sent there instead of being repatriated to their countries of origin.   These colonists formed an elite group in Liberian society, and, in 1847, they founded the Republic of Liberia, establishing a government modeled on that of the United States, naming Monrovia, their capital city, after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States and a prominent supporter of the colonization.

A military-led coup in 1980 overthrew then-president William R. Tolbert, which marked the beginning of a period of instability that eventually led to two civil wars that left hundreds of thousands of people dead and devastated the country's economy. Today, Liberia is recovering from the lingering effects of the civil war and related economic dislocation. Statistics indicate that about 85% of the population live on less than $1.25 a day.

According to statistics published by UNESCO for 2004 65% of primary-school age and 24% of secondary-school age children were enrolled in school. This is a significant increase on previous years; the statistics also show substantial numbers of older children going back to earlier school years. On average, children attain 10 years of education, 11 for boys and 8 for girls. Children ages five to eleven are required by law to attend school, though enforcement is lax.  A 1912 law required children ages 6 to 16 to attend school.  The African Methodist Episcopal University is another fast growing university in the capital.

According to statistics, rape – especially of girls between the ages of 10 and 14 – is the most reported crime.  Sexual violence occurs across all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; women may be socialized to accept, tolerate or rationalize it. A weak justice system, the lingering violence of the war and an unwillingness to report instances compound the situation. No one is safe from assault. 

As many as four out of five schoolgirls are resorting to having sex for cash so they can pay for their education, a study by British-based charity Save the Children has found. 
A whole generation of Liberians had their schooling interrupted by 14 years of civil war. In Liberia unemployment is estimated at 85 percent, sending a child to school costs half the average annual income of around US $115.  An estimated 60 to 80 percent of teenage girls want an education so much, they sell the only commodity they have, their bodies.

Girls, as young at 12 are walking the streets at night around the various hotels and night clubs, when they should be studying. 
According to the non profit organization, Save the Children, school fees are the biggest global barrier to girls going to school, with an estimated 60 million girls around the world denied an education. But the problems in Liberia, revealed after conversations with more than 300 girls, have implications far beyond the classroom.

In a country where the government is almost entirely reliant on donors, for everything from paying civil servant wages to providing security, it will be difficult for authorities to take action unilaterally. The international community will need to be supportive implement plans and policies to make education free for all children.

Objectives

AALG's objectives during the first three years of business are:

• To secure new funding sources including foundation grants, government grants, private and corporate donations and fundraising through special events.
• To serve Liberian girls, primarily between the ages of 6 – 17, through our outreach empowerment programs.

Mission

The mission of the AALG is to advance equity for girls through advocacy, education, and philanthropy.  AALG will provide funds to advance education, research, and self-development for girls and foster equality and positive societal change.  AALG strives to create a unique environment in which girls can feel free to empower themselves.  AALG  will provide a professional and safe environment that is challenging, rewarding, creative, and respectful of ideas and individuals.